Pellet Orienting Device

ABSTRACT

The pellet orienting device orients air gun pellets such that the pellets will point up in preparation for them to be loaded into air gun magazines or cartridges, comprising a tray with multiple holes that are the same diameter as a pellet and partially bored into the tray, a border wall at the perimeter edges of the tray that keeps the pellets from sliding off of the tray during its use, a corresponding lid with pins protruding from it that align with the holes in the tray so that during the loading process the pins will retain the positions of the pellets, furthermore the pins also set the depth that the pellets are seated at into the air gun magazines or cartridges such that the pellets are not protruding from, and may be recessed into the air gun magazines or cartridges.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The handling, manipulating, and orienting of air gun pellets is a common and required activity for someone who shoots air guns. Air gun pellets come in a wide variety different shapes, sizes, and calibers and can be made from various different materials, however most of the commonly available air gun pellets are made of lead or lead alloy. The head of most air gun pellets is usually relatively solid, whereas the skirt of most air gun pellets usually has a cavity in it and is effectively hollow, this makes the head of the pellet slightly heavier than its skirt which makes the pellets front heavy. Many air gun pellets are made so that the head of the pellet is close to the same diameter as the bore of the barrel, whereas the skirt of the pellet is made to be slightly larger in diameter than the bore of the barrel, this is so that the skirt will compress down slightly and form a relatively tight seal to the bore of the barrel during firing. Air gun pellets usually come in containers where all of the pellets are loose and in random positions without any specific order throughout the container. The pellets in the container must be rustled through to pick one up, or some of the pellets are poured from the container to separate them from the bulk of the pellets and then one pellet can be selected and picked up. Some air guns hold only a single pellet at a time with no magazine or cartridge required. Even with single shot air guns the pellet must still be handled and manipulated to orient the pellet into the correct position so that it will load into the air gun correctly. However, many air guns are multi shot and usually require either a multi shot rotary magazine that holds multiple pellets, or the air gun may hold several single shot replica cartridges.

The removable versions of the multi shot rotary magazines are probably one of the most efficient systems for an air gun that's a multi shot repeater. For most of the air guns that use the multi shot rotary magazines, the empty magazine in the gun can be easily removed from the gun and then exchanged for a fully loaded magazine, making for a quick and easy reload. There are some multi shot rotary magazines that are attached to a larger magazine mechanism and are not completely removable without dismantling the magazine mechanism. The multi shot rotary type magazine is relatively flat and discus shaped with multiple holes around its perimeter. The holes are just slightly smaller in diameter than the pellets so that the holes will hold the pellets in the magazine until the pellets are fired from the air gun. Most air gun rotary magazines have gear teeth that are used to rotate the magazine during its use when it's installed in the air gun. The gear teeth are usually arranged in a circular pattern in the center of the magazine and may protrude slightly from one side of the magazine, with some of the rotary magazines the gear teeth protrude from the same side of the magazine that the pellets are pushed into.

The desire from air gun enthusiasts and replica enthusiasts alike for realistic and functional replica air guns has created a market for these nostalgic guns. One of the requirements for the realism of the replica air guns is that the specific cartridges for them are also made to be replica in size, shape and appearance. The replica type cartridges look like actual bullets, they are the same size and have the same shape as real loaded cartridges, and they fit and load into the air gun the same way as a real gun would be loaded. The replica cartridges are single shot, just like the real cartridges, so each individual replica cartridge holds only a single pellet, however there are clips for some of the replica cartridges that will hold several cartridges together on the same clip. The clips hold the cartridges in a pattern that matches the hole pattern of the revolver cylinder that they are meant for, this makes reloading the gun easier. The replica cartridges have only one hole that is bored all of the way through the cartridges, at one end of the cartridges where the pellet is loaded in, the hole is just slightly smaller in diameter than the pellet, or there is a rubber grommet that holds the pellet in the cartridges until the pellet is fired from the air gun.

The normal way to load a rotary magazine or replica cartridge usually requires that each individual pellet to be picked up and physically handled so that it can be oriented to face the correct direction as it is being pushed, by finger tip, into one of the holes in the magazine, or into one end of the hole in the cartridge. It is normal to also handle the magazine or cartridge at the same time that the pellet is being pushed into it. For the magazine or cartridge to be loaded correctly it is required that the pellets are pointing in the correct direction and that they are seated such that the bottom of the pellet's skirt is not protruding from the magazine or cartridge. If any of the pellets' skirts protrude from the magazine or cartridge the skirts may cause a drag in the action of the air gun, or the skirts may be damaged or possibly even jam the air gun. With most air gun magazines and cartridges there is enough depth in their holes to allow for the pellets to be seated such that the pellets' skirts are slightly recessed into the magazines or cartridges.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that manipulates and orients multiple air gun pellets at the same time in such a way that the head of the pellets will point up in preparation for the pellets to be loaded into air gun magazines or cartridges. It is another object of the present invention to ensure that when the pellets are loaded into the magazines or cartridges they are seated in such a way that the pellets are not protruding from the magazines or cartridges and the pellets may be recessed into the magazines or cartridges.

The pellet orienting device comprising two primary parts that together comprise a total of six integral components. The pellet orienting device comprising a tray, with holes in it, and a perimeter wall around the tray, the pellet orienting device further comprising a lid with pins protruding from it and a cavity in the lid for magazine gear teeth. The tray and the lid are fit together when using the pellet orienting device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

Note: The hole pattern for a single, eight shot rotary magazine that is shown in the drawing is just one example of what the pellet orienting device can be made to load. The pellet orienting device can also be made with hole patterns for loading several magazines or cartridges at the same time, and it can also be made to load rotary magazines that hold more than eight shots or less than eight shots.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the pellet orienting device tray showing eight holes in the tray that are arranged in a pattern that matches the pattern of the holes for a single, eight shot rotary magazine, furthermore showing the border wall around the perimeter edges of the tray.

FIG. 2 is a cutaway side view of the pellet orienting device tray cut through its center showing the two middle holes of the eight holes in the tray, furthermore showing the border wall at the perimeter edges of the tray.

FIG. 3 is a view of the inside of the pellet orienting device lid showing eight pins in the lid that are arranged in a pattern that matches the pattern of the holes for a single, eight shot rotary magazine, furthermore showing a cavity in the lid for magazine gear teeth.

FIG. 4 is a cutaway side view of the pellet orienting device lid cut through its center showing the two middle pins of the eight pins in the lid, furthermore showing a cavity in the lid for magazine gear teeth.

FIG. 5 is a cutaway side view of the pellet orienting device showing the tray and the lid together with the tray on the bottom with the two middle holes and the border wall at the perimeter edges of the tray, furthermore showing the lid on top of the tray with the two middle pins pointing down into the holes in the tray, and a cavity in the lid for magazine gear teeth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1 through FIG. 5 , the pellet orienting device 16 is not too big or too small for a common sized hand to hold, and the pellet orienting device 16 can be easily manipulated and oriented by hand. There is no specific or required shape or size for the pellet orienting device 16, so the pellet orienting device 16 can be made in different sizes, and in different shapes such as but not limited to: square, round, oval, polygonal, or in a shape that resembles something. There is a wide variety of different commonly available materials that the pellet orienting device 16 can be made of such as but not limited to: plastic, metal, wood, or ceramic. The pellet orienting device 16 can be made to fit and load air gun multi shot rotary magazines or single shot replica cartridges, or other air gun magazines or cartridges that are compatible with the pellet orienting device 16. The pellet orienting device 16 can be multi sided with the ability to fit and load multiple different rotary magazines and replica cartridges on different sides. The pellet orienting device 16 can be made to fit, orient, and load a wide variety of different calibers, and pellets made of a variety of different materials and in different shapes such as but not limited to: flat point, round point, hollow point, or pointed.

With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the pellet orienting device 16 comprising a tray 10 with multiple holes 11 that are partially bored into at least one side of the pellet orienting device tray 10. The holes 11 in the pellet orienting device tray 10 are just large enough in diameter for only the head of the pellets to fit into but not large enough in diameter for the skirt of the pellets to fit into. The pellet orienting device tray multiple holes 11 are the same caliber as the holes in the magazine or cartridge to be loaded, and the pellet orienting device tray multiple holes 11 are arranged in a specific pattern that precisely matches the pattern of the holes in the magazine to be loaded. For replica cartridges that are attached to a clip that holds several cartridges together, a specific tray hole 11 pattern may be used so that all of the cartridges that are on the clip can be loaded at the same time. For replica cartridges that are not attached to a clip and may be loaded individually, a specific tray hole 11 pattern for cartridges may not be required. Furthermore, there is a border wall 12 at the perimeter edges of the pellet orienting device tray 10 that keeps the pellets from sliding off of the tray 10 during its use.

With reference to FIG. 3 through FIG. 5 , the pellet orienting device 16 further comprising a corresponding lid 13 with multiple pins 14 protruding from at least one side of the pellet orienting device lid 13. The pellet orienting device corresponding lid pins 14 are arranged in a pattern that precisely matches the pattern of the holes in the magazine or cartridges to be loaded.

The pins 14 protruding from the pellet orienting device lid 13 are longer than the depth of the cavity in the skirt on the pellets. The pellet orienting device tray 10 and the pellet orienting device lid 13 will fit together in such a way that the pins 14 on the lid 13 will align with the holes 11 in the tray 10. For rotary magazines that have gear teeth protruding from the same side of the magazine that the pellets are pushed into there will be a cavity 15 in the pellet orienting device lid 13 for the magazine gear teeth to protrude into.

With reference to FIG. 1 through FIG. 5 , the pellet orienting and loading process is now described. Any amount of pellets from one pellet to about the maximum number of holes 11 in the pellet orienting device tray 10 can be poured onto the tray 10. The tray 10 is held in a position that is close to level horizontally and then gently shaken so as to shuffle the pellets around on the tray 10, the border wall 12 at the perimeter edges of the pellet orienting device tray 10 will keep the pellets from being shuffled off of the tray 10. Because of the heads of the pellets being heavier than their skirts, along with the skirts of the pellets being larger in diameter than the holes 11 in the tray 10, the pellets fall into the holes 11 head first. The holes 11 in the pellet orienting device tray 10 are relatively shallow but are deep enough for just the head of the pellets to fall down into which will leave a portion of the pellets skirt protruding up out of the holes 11 in the tray 10. The heads of the pellets will fall into the holes 11 in the tray 10 until each pellet has found a hole 11 or all of the holes 11 have been filled by pellets. Any extra pellets left on the tray 10 but not in a hole 11 can be poured off of the tray 10. This will leave the remaining pellets with their heads pointing down into the tray 10 and the skirts of the pellets pointing up.

The pellets left on the tray 10 are fairly easy to examine and inspect for flaws or damage. The pellet orienting device tray holes 11 being so close in diameter to the diameter of the pellets makes the pellet orienting device 16 sensitive to deformed or damaged pellets which tend to not fit into the tray holes 11 properly. This makes the defective pellets stand out on the pellet orienting device tray 10 as compared to the other pellets that are in the tray 10, thus making the defective pellets obvious and easy to recognize and remove.

With all of the pellets that are on the pellet orienting device tray 10 pointing down into the tray holes 11, the pellet orienting device corresponding lid 13 is placed onto the tray 10, the inside surface of the lid 13 will sit close to the bottom of the skirts on the pellets. The pins 14 protruding from the lid 13 are in the exact corresponding positions as the holes 11 in the tray 10 so the pins 14 line up perfectly with and extend into the cavities in the pellets' skirts. The pellet orienting device tray 10 and lid 13 are both gently flipped over together and set down onto the lid 13. With the pellet orienting device lid 13 now on the bottom and the pellet orienting device tray 10 on top of the lid 13 the tray 10 is gently lifted upward from the lid 13 leaving the lid 13 and the pellets behind which have been oriented to point up and are sitting on the pellet orienting device lid pins 14. The pellet orienting device lid pins 14 will hold the pellets in their respective positions on the pellet orienting device lid 13 during the pellet loading process.

With the pellets pointing up and sitting on the pellet orienting device lid pins 14, the magazine or cartridge is positioned directly over the pellets such that the holes in the magazine or cartridge are aligned with the pellets, the magazine or cartridge is then pushed downward onto the pellets, this effectively pushes the pellets into the magazine or cartridge. The magazine or cartridge is pushed all of the way down over the pellets until the magazine or cartridge stops when it comes in contact with the pellet orienting device lid 13. If it is a rotary magazine that has gear teeth protruding from the same side of the magazine that the pellets are pushed into, the gear teeth will protrude into the cavity 15 in the pellet orienting device lid 13, allowing the magazine to be fully pushed down over the pellets without the gear teeth interfering.

The pins 14 protruding from the pellet orienting device lid 13 are longer than the depth of the cavity in the skirt on the pellets. The pellet orienting device corresponding lid pins 14 will push on the inner part of the pellets from inside the cavity within the skirts of the pellets which reduces the chance of deforming the skirts of the pellets during the pellet loading process, furthermore the pellet orienting device lid pins 14 will push the pellets into the magazine or cartridge such that the pellets' skirts are not protruding from the magazine or cartridge and the pellets may be recessed into the magazine or cartridge. 

1. A pellet orienting device that manipulates and orients multiple pellets at the same time in such a way that the head of the pellets will point up in preparation for the pellets to be loaded into magazines or cartridges furthermore said pellet orienting device will set the depth that the pellets are seated at into the magazines or cartridges such that the pellets are not protruding from the magazines or cartridges and the pellets may be recessed into the magazines or cartridges.
 2. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein there is a wide variety of common materials that said pellet orienting device can be made from and said pellet orienting device can be made in various different sizes and different shapes.
 3. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein said pellet orienting device can be made to fit orient and load pellets that are made from a variety of different materials and pellets of various different shapes, sizes and calibers.
 4. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein said pellet orienting device can be made to fit and load multi shot rotary magazines that hold multiple pellets and single shot replica cartridges that hold only a single pellet, and other magazines and cartridges that are compatible with said pellet orienting device.
 5. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein said pellet orienting device can be multi sided and made to fit and load a single caliber and a single magazine or cartridge, or said pellet orienting device can be made to fit and load multiple different calibers and multiple different magazines or cartridges.
 6. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein said pellet orienting device comprising a tray with multiple holes that are partially bored into at least one side of said pellet orienting device tray wherein said pellet orienting device tray multiple holes are arranged in a pattern that precisely matches the pattern of the holes in the magazine or cartridges to be loaded wherein said pellet orienting device tray multiple holes are just large enough in diameter for only the head of the pellets to fit into but not large enough in diameter for the skirt of the pellets to fit into.
 7. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein said pellet orienting device further comprising a border wall at the perimeter edges of said pellet orienting device tray wherein during the pellet orienting part of the loading process said pellet orienting device border wall at the perimeter edges of said pellet orienting device tray keeps the pellets from sliding off of said pellet orienting device tray.
 8. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein said pellet orienting device further comprising a corresponding lid with multiple pins protruding from at least one side of said pellet orienting device corresponding lid wherein said pellet orienting device corresponding lid pins are arranged in a pattern that precisely matches the pattern of the holes in the magazine or cartridges to be loaded wherein said pellet orienting device lid pins are longer than the depth of the cavity in the skirt on the pellets to be loaded furthermore there may be a cavity in said pellet orienting device lid for magazine gear teeth.
 9. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein said pellet orienting device tray and said pellet orienting device corresponding lid will fit together in such a way that said pellet orienting device corresponding lid pins will align with said pellet orienting device tray holes.
 10. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein during the pellet orienting part of the loading process as said pellet orienting device tray is gently shaken just enough to shuffle the pellets around on said tray said multiple holes partially bored into said pellet orienting device tray manipulate the pellets such that the heads of pellets will fall down into said pellet orienting device tray holes orienting the pellets to point down.
 11. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein during the pellet orienting part of the loading process because of said pellet orienting device tray holes being so close in diameter to the diameter of the pellets said pellet orienting device is sensitive to deformed or damaged pellets which tend to not fit into said pellet orienting device tray holes properly and makes the defective pellets stand out making the defective pellets obvious and easy to recognize and remove.
 12. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein during the pellet orienting part of the loading process said pellet orienting device tray and said pellet orienting device corresponding lid will fit together in such a way that said pellet orienting device corresponding lid pins will align with and extend into the cavities within the skirts of the pellets.
 13. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein during the pellet orienting part of the loading process, with the all of the pellets that are on said pellet orienting device tray in holes and pointing down said pellet orienting device tray and said pellet orienting device corresponding lid can be fit together and then both flipped over together such that said pellet orienting device corresponding lid is on the bottom and said pellet orienting device tray is on top of said pellet orienting device corresponding lid effectively orienting all of the pellets in said pellet orienting device to point up.
 14. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein during the pellet orienting part of the loading process after said pellet orienting device tray and said pellet orienting device corresponding lid have been flipped over together with all of the pellets in said pellet orienting device tray pointing up said tray can be lifted off of said lid leaving all of the pellets that were in said pellet orienting device tray behind and sitting on said pellet orienting device corresponding lid pins in preparation for the process of loading the pellets into magazines or cartridges.
 15. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein during the pellet loading process as the magazine or cartridge is being pushed downward onto the pellets said pellet orienting device corresponding lid pins will hold the pellets in their respective positions.
 16. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein during the pellet loading process as the magazine or cartridge is being pushed downward onto the pellets said pellet orienting device corresponding lid pins do not push on the skirts of the pellets instead said pellet orienting device corresponding lid pins will push on the inner part of the pellets from inside the cavity within the skirts of the pellets which reduces the chance of deforming the skirts on the pellets during the pellet loading process.
 17. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein said pellet orienting device is a lot easier on the finger tips to use for loading and seating pellets into air gun magazines and cartridges as compared to loading and seating pellets into air gun magazines or cartridges one pellet at a time by finger tip.
 18. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein said pellet orienting device can reduce or eliminate the need to directly touch or handle the pellets that are being loaded into air gun magazines and cartridges and the requirement to seat pellets by fingertip into air gun magazines and cartridges is virtually eliminated.
 19. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein said pellet orienting device can reduce the amount of time and effort required for loading pellets into air gun magazines and cartridges.
 20. The pellet orienting device as described in claim 1 wherein said pellet orienting device may improve the consistency at which pellets are loaded into air gun magazines and cartridges. 